A Father's Role
by Hikari Kame
Summary: Post-Avengers. Loki has returned, and Odin must decide on what his own life has all been for. In the end, his most important role was "Father," was it not?


_He knew something was wrong. The constant dull humming in his mind now interspersed with the quaking of his bones; his nerves shaking in anticipation of what was to come. _

_He let his instincts, so loyal to him for so long, lead him far into the palace, down, down, down, to the vault. _

_The golden doors guarding his victory piece from Jotunheim swung forward ominously, groaning, its doors locked tightly for too long. _

_Such an image Odin had never beheld. The Casket of Ancient Winters glowing, its song not bloodthirsty and frostbitten, but gentle, caressing, like a babe's first breaths, around the true treasure Odin had taken from Jotunheim so long ago. _

_His second son. Loki. Loki, the God Of Mischief and Lies. Loki, Odin's biggest hope. _

_Poor Loki, his precious, precious, son. Loki, his precious son whose face now beheld the most heartbroken expression Odin had ever had the misfortune to witness. _

_Loki had asked. Loki had demanded. Loki had screamed. _

"_TELL ME!"_

_But the Allfather knew what to do. After all, had he not prepared for this day constantly, ever since he brought this Frost Giant's babe back from the bloodstained battlefields to the golden arches of Asgardian rule over the Nine Realms?_

"_Show me your true form Loki." Odin quietly asked. _

_Loki's voice hitched, but he changed slowly, soft pale skin darkening to soft blue skin, lines appearing on his face as his eyes turned a wondrous dark red._

"_A most wondrous form, Loki." Odin said with a gentle smile._

"_You're lying!" Loki cried back, lost and confused and betrayed._

"_Come Loki. It is a wondrous, loving tale, and I have not the energy to tell it all to you while standing."_

_Loki, still his obedient son, still willing to follow his father, followed Odin into his private chambers. Odin gestured for the servants to leave and lowered himself gently onto his bed. _

_Oh, how his body ached. Yet Loki's eyes still held fear, loneliness, and that spark of wildness that Odin now sought to quench._

"_Loki, I shall now speak, and you will ask your questions later. I know your mind is more than capable of holding your peace long enough for me to finish."_

_Loki nodded, and Odin began. "You know of the war between Asgard and Jotunheim, long, long ago."_

_Loki nodded slowly, again, and Odin continued. "Many days and nights of needless bloodshed, needless lives lost, wasted. By the end, my eyes saw nothing else but blood and shadows, and I felt as if my life was leaving me with every life I slain."_

"_All hope, all light, all forgiveness, had left me long ago, to be replaced by constant pain and weariness. How was I to find peace for the kingdoms if I could not hope to find peace within myself?"_

_Tears rolled down Odin's cheeks, and Loki gasped softly. Odin grasped his son's hands and continued. "Crying is not a weakness, Loki, although the others might argue otherwise. They are fools. We were all fools. I cried and prayed bitterly, for something, anything, to bring an ending to this madness that would surely plunge all into war. I prayed for peace, for redemption, for hope. I prayed as I had never prayed before, for I would not last much longer."_

"_All at once, spirits descended into my soul and led me by hand to an abandoned temple. There, I found a Frost Giant babe, a newborn, abandoned by the cruelty of war. I found you."_

"_I had slaughtered so many of the Frost Giants, and it was nothing more than a selfish desire on my part to at least care for one. Redemption."_

"_Then, you brought me a miracle, Loki. You, with your newborn hands and newborn eyes and newborn life. You, Loki. You reached out and touched me, and with your own powers, turned into the form of an Asgardian."_

"_I made you a prince at that moment Loki, and swore to raise you as my own. To treasure you, to take care of you, to do all I could to give you a new life."_

"_Loki, you are, and will always be, my one hope, my one miracle, the miracle that saved me from the darkest days of my life, days that threatened to swallow me whole if it weren't for you. You are the greatest hidden treasure of Asgard, Loki."_

"_Then why was I always in the shadow of Thor? Why was I always swept aside for the Golden Child? Why did you never tell me about how I was a monster?"_

"_Loki!" Odin roared, and his son quieted. "If you remember, I never once said that the Frost Giants were monsters, but even I cannot change the feelings of a people after a war. I tried not to show favoritism, but when everyone praised Thor as a warrior, it would be unwise for me to ignore such words."_

_Loki nodded. He understood the cultural obligations, even if he did not like them. Even the Allfather was not exempt for them. _

"_And think Loki, ponder, why is it that I never openly praised you or boasted of you? What good has that done your fool of a brother, who I have now had to banish to Midgard? Who is the son that is here, with me, right now?" Odin whispered. _

"_I am." Loki replied. _

"_Yes. Do not doubt my or your mother's love for you Loki. I am far from perfect, but you are the best of my actions and life, and you should always remember that. You are better than I, and you are the best Asgard can give you. Though Thor may seem like the sun, you are the light at the end of the tunnel."_

"_When were you going to tell me?" Loki asked, his voice as weak as Odin's now._

"_On your next birthday, when I would crown you as the king of Asgard as well. Two kings, to rule Asgard in balance. But you and Thor were always impatient, yes?" Loki smiled at that, but his smile soon disappeared again. _

"_But Father, I am still, still-" Scared. Oh, Loki._

"_We will stand behind you Loki, for as long as you need us. Do not fear, trust in yourself. You are greater than yourself, as is your destiny. Your differences are what make you what the Nine Realms need, what Asgard needs. What I need."_

"_I have pondered this matter for a very long time Loki, on when to tell you all of this. You may not agree with all of my decisions regarding you and Thor, but know that I did it with all my love for you and your brother in my heart. You cannot fault a father for trying his best."_

_Loki shook his head. "Thank you." He whispered._

"_No, my child, thank you. You are truly a miracle; a sorcerer, one that Asgard has not had for thousands of years, due to my ancestor's ignorance. You are intelligent, levelheaded, and a better man than both I and your brother. Your brother will learn his lesson on Midgard, and when he is ready, you may fetch him and bring him home."_

_Odin sighed. "I have postponed the Odinsleep for long enough. Tomorrow, I will crown you as the king of Asgard."_

"_Allfather-"_

"_Your brother is not ready. When he is, he will be the second king. Let the better man take the helm first. Now go, see your mother. She undoubtedly has many words to share with you as well."_

_Odin hugged his crying son and left to make preparations. When Loki finally regained his composure, he ran to his mother, a child once again. _

_x-x_

"_Do not fault your father, Loki. I know it still smarts, all those years of being passed along in favor of your brother, but your father knew what he was doing. He employed me, to try to soothe the hurt, to do what he could not do. Your father may be a fool, but he is a fool in the good ways, if there is such a thing. Remember your 150th birthday?"_

_Both Loki and Frigga giggled silently at that. _

"_Today, Loki, your life changes. Even if your brother returns a changed and better man, you will be the true king of Asgard, for you represent the peace of many worlds altogether."_

"_Father said I was the light at the end of the tunnel." Loki whispered in awe._

"_You are Loki, you are, and we have always been so proud of you; your discipline, your prowess in magic, you're understanding, even your tricks and mischief, never doubt that we love you." Loki smiled._

Someone gently shook his arm. "Husband, Thor and Loki have returned from Midgard." Frigga whispered at his ear. Odin opened his eyes, and beyond the throne, there stood two proud men, one standing tall and the other slouching meekly. But Odin knew better. Thor clutched his brother's arm desperately while Loki, although slouching, had his feet in the battle position. Strong and weak. Weak and strong.

Odin stood and walked down toward his two sons, and for one singular moment, he saw only two little children, one black haired child and one blond-haired child, as the blond haired child clutched his brother's arm and hid behind him in fear of his father's wrath while his black-haired brother stood bravely, ready at a moment's notice to employ his silver tongue to spare his brother from justice.

"Leave us." Odin ordered, and Frigga gently started to steer Thor away.

Thor panicked. "No, Loki – please Father, please - "

Odin held up a hand. "It is alright Thor. I merely have some apologies to make to your brother before we continue."

He turned toward his gagged and bound son, whose eyes had now widened in utter shock and speechlessness. "It is a conversation, long due."

The throne room quickly fell to complete silence. The two men left stood quietly there, staring, unwilling to move.

Finally, after an eternity, Odin pulled Loki up the steps to the throne, and unbound his son. Odin waited for Loki's breathing to even out, and then unclasped the gag and kissed his son on the forehead.

"Come Loki. It is a wondrous, loving tale, and I have not the energy to tell it all to you while standing."

It would not be easy. Because of his betrayals, Odin had long lost the chance for an easy resolution, and now he must fight against the odds. It would not be easy. There would be many more battles and arguments and bloodshed within the family.

But it would work. Of that Odin had no doubt. Redemption, for all, always came only after love.

"Welcome home, Loki. I am glad you are safe." Odin took a deep breath, and began.


End file.
